Birmingham O2 Institute Accessibility Review

Photo Credit: Alexandra Quinn. Image Description: Emma's view from the wheelchair seating of Birmingham O2 Institute main room. It shows looking over the stage from above whilst the band are playing

Back with another accessibility review. This time O2 Institute in Birmingham, the main room that is. I know I’ve reviewed O2 Institute 2 in Birmingham before. But the main room is a separate room within the same building, and I had a VERY different experience, so I thought it warranted a separate review. 

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for other experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!) 

Ticket Buying 

The ticket buying process was actually the same as for Institute 2 in that I bought a standard ticket and emailed to have it changed to a wheelchair access ticket with carer. 

Travel 

Again, since it’s in the same building as Institute 2, the travel was the same. It was just a 20-minute walk. 

Experience & Seating 

Ahh the actual venue experience, here’s where things get inaccessible. I must start this section by saying that this is actually my experience over several visits and shows. I will be mentioning the bands I saw but only to separate the different experience. My accessibility experiences are in no way the fault of the bands mentioned so please don’t direct any negativity.  

Firstly, in mid-March of 2022, my friend asked if I wanted to see a band called White Lies. I’m always up for a random show so we went. Turned up to the show to be let in through the usual side door with ramp and then to a lift where an employee accompanied us up to the main room level and to our seats in the balcony area. About 10 or so minutes after we’d settled in, someone else from the venue (I think some kind of medic) came up and informed us that the lift had broken right after I’d used it. I panicked a fair bit but just decided we’d enjoy the show and come up with a plan afterwards to get me downstairs and home. 

Once the show was over, a plan was made. I transferred into the evacuation chair (something that I’d only ever used for fire evacuations before) and was then taken downstairs and into a room to wait for my wheelchair. The plan for that was for me to turn it off and disengage the motors and for a team of people to then carry the wheelchair downstairs. Obviously, this made me nervous as I have no other form of transportation and would be essentially losing my legs if my chair was dropped and damaged. But at the same time, I didn’t know any other way to get my chair downstairs. My chair is also quite heavy, so it took 6 people to carry it down. But thankfully I was eventually reunited with my chair and was able to check it wasn’t damaged before heading home. 

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of my lift woes at this venue. 

In mid-April 2022. I was able to find a last-minute ticket to The Reytons. My friend suggested the band were great so I double checked with the venue that they still had spaces in the wheelchair seating (I figured they’d mention if I couldn’t get into the gig because of lift issues). They said they had space and mentioned no other issues, so I took the last-minute ticket, had them convert it into a wheelchair space and carer and carried on about my day. However, issues began as soon as I turned up to the venue. A fellow wheelchair user and his two companions enquired whether it was The Reytons we were seeing, and when I confirmed it was, they informed me I wouldn’t be going as the lift was broken. I’m pretty sure it was just STILL broken from the White Lies gig where it had broken mid show. Having spoken to the venue staff, they confirmed the lift was broken. I asked if I could leave my wheelchair somewhere, use the evacuation chair to go up and down the stairs and then sit on a seat at the show. They said that wasn’t possible due to lack of staff for using the evacuation chair. The angels that they are, the two other attendees we’d met offered to carry me up there themselves so I could see the show, but that wasn’t allowed because health and safety (which I expected). With all options exhausted, I was left with nothing else but missing the show. 

I must say the band were brilliant about the situation and so apologetic, organising a meet and greet before the show, merch and tickets to another show on the tour (which was Camden’s Electric Ballroom for me). The venue also offered me a free ticket to any other show at the venue that I wanted (where they had available wheelchair spaces). But nothing was or is ever going to fix the heartbreak of watching everyone walk into a show you have a ticket for but can’t attend. And knowing the only reason you cannot go is because of accessibility. Of course, I know that lifts break and that is just part of using mechanical equipment for accessibility.  But the worst part was we didn’t even have to get to that point. The lift was very likely broken for a while, so they could have mentioned the broken lift when I called to enquire about wheelchair spaces earlier in the day. I didn’t HAVE to go through the gut wrench of watching everyone walk in like that. 

I was grateful to hear that the lift was back to being operational as of 29^th April 2022, and to be able to successfully attend two shows in that room (Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls in September and then Set It Off in November). 

I think the takeaway from this review is this: Accessibility isn’t just about a one-time investment of having the right accessibility equipment to make sure everyone can access a performance. It’s also about making sure that equipment is working and functional and communicating as soon as you can when the equipment is NOT working, especially if you know you have people attending who would need that equipment to get to the show. 

Please learn from this post and help me to avoid another gut-wrenching moment of realising I have to fight for even the simplest pleasure, such as attending a show. 

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

O2 Academy2 Birmingham Wheelchair Accessibility Review

Photo Credit: Lizzie Iles. Image Description: Emma and Lizzie's view from the access platform of Birmingham O2 Academy 2. Picture This are on stage mid set. There are blue, pink and purple lights illuminating the stage

Back again with another wheelchair accessibility review. This time for Picture This at the O2 Academy 2 in Birmingham. I do a review out for the O2 Academy in Birmingham but, whilst these 2 venues are in the same building, I see it that a different room equals a different venue which deserves its own separate accessibility review. 

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!) 

Ticket Buying 

First up in the ticket buying process was to email the disabled bookings email for the venue to clarify exactly WHAT the accessible ticketing process was and also how we would go about buying 2 accessible seats at once (something I hadn’t done before) since my friend Lizzie who is also a wheelchair user would be joining me. They told us to just buy 2 standard tickets through Ticketmaster and then email them back with the order number and the tickets would be converted to accessible ones. Once that was done, we realised we had 2 accessible tickets and a carer ticket each (I hadn’t requested the carer tickets). We gave one of those tickets to a new friend from the Solo Armada (an online group for gig goers which I have mentioned before). Why did we give a ticket away to a stranger? Well because we had a spare and making gig friends is always cool. 

Travel 

Well, there was no real travel involved since neither Lizzie nor I live particularly far from the venue. So, it was simply a case of getting ready, then heading round to Lizzie’s for pre gig food and beers before heading to the train station to collect our new found gig friend and head to the gig. 

Experience & Seating 

When we arrived at the venue, it was very busy with a VERY long queue outside. I soon realised that was because there were 2 gigs that night in the same building since, like I mentioned in the intro, Academy and Academy 2 are in the same building. We were able to find a staff member who directed us to the queue for our gig. Once we got to the front of that queue were then pulled into the other queue for the Academy in order to use the lift to get up to venue level. We couldn’t all fit in the lift at once so Lizzie went up first and then our new mate and I followed afterwards. When we got up there, we realised that Lizzie was already situated so we all grabbed drinks from the bar and then settled into our seats (or what we thought were our seats). When we settled in, I remarked that the view looked familiar when I didn’t expect it to (I hadn’t visited Academy 2 before but I HAD visited Academy). I also noticed that the crowd below didn’t look how I expected a Picture This crowd to look (I’d seen the boys live before so, I kinda knew what crowds they drew). But I figured I was just thinking too much into it and carried on. Lizzie and our new mate then headed off to get merch as I’d told them what I wanted. They came back and said that there no Picture This merch at the merch stand and that was because… WE’D BEEN PUT IN THE WRONG GIG. Where we were sat felt so familiar to the Academy show I’d been to because we WERE SAT in Academy and Academy 2 was actually next door. With that figured out we were moved into Academy 2 where our gig actually was. This just meant going through one door out the side of Academy, then through the door straight onto the small access platform in Academy 2. When I say small, I mean there was space for about 8 people and it was quite cramped. I think there was space behind us too but I think that was reversing space for wheelchair users rather than more seating. 

I must say I really enjoyed the gig (although I knew it would be good as I’ve seen the boys live before ). I also really enjoyed getting to stand at the “barrier” for the whole gig (even if it was only the barrier to the access platform and I was only able to do it with Lizzie’s help) as standing at barrier isn’t something I’ve ever been able to experience, what with being a wheelchair user and often having to be on a separate platform.  

A couple of things I didn’t enjoy. Firstly, as wheelchair users we had no access to the merch stall which was on the main floor. This meant that my only way to get merch was to loudly yell our entire order down to the merch staff and then have them bring the order up to us and take payment with a mobile card machine. Which, like, they did, but it was a massive faff and made me feel very self-conscious yelling down in front of a full venue. I also couldn’t see a disabled toilet in the Academy 2 section which meant that, If I’d have needed to, I’d have had to leave the gig and go across into Academy to use that disabled toilet, and obviously I’d like to not have to leave the gig. But at the same time, I couldn’t see anywhere in the Academy 2 side of the building that would be able to house a disabled toilet. 

Once the gig was over, we went back through into Academy and then down in the lift and out. Whilst our friend headed home, Lizzie and I decided to try our luck at stage door. Once we’d asked around and figured out which was the correct stage door to be at., we pulled up and waited. We were lucky to get some photos with the boys and Ryan (the lead singer) was kind enough to sign the copy of his poetry book that Lizzie had bought me at the gig as an early birthday present. 

After making a quick detour into a hotel on the way home for a toilet break (we were waiting longer than I expected at stage door) we headed back to mine for tea and a post gig debrief. 

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

The Castle and Falcon Birmingham Accessibility Review

Photo Credit: Alexandra Quinn. Image Description: The bar in the concert room at Castle and Falcon. Above the bar is a sign (black text on a white background) which reads " LIVE AT THE CASTLE AND FALCON BEANS ON TOAST"

Back with ANOTHER venue access review. This time I headed to Castle and Falcon in Birmingham for a dance with Beans On Toast.

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)

Ticket Buying

This was one of the easiest ticket buying processes I’ve ever had. I just bought a general admission ticket and then sent the venue a courtesy email to let them know I was a wheelchair user and would require an accessible entrance.

Travel

The travel was also easy as I just caught a bus from the end of my street and then took a 10–15-minute walk to the venue once the bus dropped me off. On the return, I took a bus back to the city centre, dropped my mate off at the train station and headed home.

Experience & Seating

When it came to the venue, I was a little sceptical as the website just said “100% wheelchair accessible, including accessible toilet”. Every disabled person can tell you of a time they’ve read that phrase on a website and then found the venue to not be as accessible as claimed. Thankfully, the statement was (as far as I could see) entirely true and the venue WAS entirely accessible. Whilst the main entrance has steps, there is a side entrance which is step free.

Once I had made my way in and found my new friends from Solo Armada, we hung out in the bar before heading into the gig room and to the front. I rarely get chance to be at the front because access platforms are usually towards the back of the room. But there was no specific access platform or access seating at this show, so I saw my chance to get a front row spot and took it! I also noticed that there was an accessible bathroom (with radar key access) which was well kept and very usable. You might not spot it immediately because I believe that side of the room (where the accessible toilet is) has a curtain across it during the actual gig, but the bathroom is still accessible if necessary.

With absolutely ZERO accessibility worries or issues, I could just chill out and dance, get a beer in between acts, and then head back to the dance floor. Once the gig was over, we just had to ask someone to reopen the accessible side entrance.

This has been a short review, but that’s just the way I like them. Because short and sweet means it was accessible. And Castle and Falcon was, without a doubt, the easiest and most accessible I’ve ever attended.

Before I leave you, I need to say something about the actual gig. It was just the most chilled vibe and felt like I could entirely be myself and enjoy the gig without worrying what people were thinking (something I often wonder about on the occasions that I’m with the general crowd at gigs and not on a separate platform). I was hoping to make another Beans on Toast gig (the upcoming show in Bilston) which shows the impact that the show made on me. However, metro works and general travel issues means no Bilston gig for me, curse you metro!

Castle and Falcon, thank you for an easy and accessible gig experience as a wheelchair user, just how it should be. I WILL be back!

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Birmingham O2 Institute2 Accessibility Review

Photo Credit: Dev Place Photos, Image Description: Photo of Holding Absence performing at the Scala in London, taken from the crowd. Frontman Lucas Woodland, a young man with blonde hair in a black t shirt and tattoos on his arms looks out over the audience with his left arms raised in a fist. The crowd is lit with warm green lights. Several fans are on shoulders, elevated above the audience singing along to the band’s song ‘Wilt’.

Back with another venue accessibility review! This time, O2 Institute2 in Birmingham. 

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!) 

Ticket Buying 

Once again, I was not the one that actually bought these tickets because once again it was part of birthday plans from my best mate Dev (she bought us tickets to Bring Me The Horizon in Birmingham for my 2020 birthday present and this was part of the 2021 celebrations). What can I say? I have the best pals. It was a case of buying one general admission ticket and then emailing the venue with the order number to request a space on the accessible platform and a carer ticket. I was pretty sure they’d probably have my disability “proof” on file since I’m often at venues in the city and I believe the O2 venues are all linked in some way (although I could be wrong) but I had the proof ready to send if necessary. 

Travel 

Travel wise, there wasn’t actually much travelling to do once Dev was in Birmingham. Since I live fairly close to the venue, it was just a 30 minute or so walk into Digbeth, through some of the works going on in the area. 

Experience & Seating 

On arrival at the venue, it was clear there was already a pretty decent queue, probably since (as far as I’m aware) there were shows in all 3 of the Institute rooms that night, so the queue wasn’t just our gig. There was also fencing cutting off half the width of the pavement (those works I mentioned earlier). Once we were in the queue our tickets and COVID passes were checked. We were then directed past the main entrance to the accessible entrance which had a ramp. I did get a little stuck on this ramp and have to be helped in, but I’m not sure if it was an issue with my approach or the actual ramp/entrance. Once in the building, we walked along a short hallway and turned into the main foyer where everyone else was entering. The Institute2 is on the entrance level, so we headed through a door and into the venue. 

When we entered the venue, I noticed that both merch and bar were on the main floor, down a set of stairs from the access platform, so Dev headed down to grab merch and water. I also noticed that there was a metal barrier in front of us and closer than the actual permanent platform. Given that I wanted to be as close as possible, we decided to shift the metal barrier out of the way and keep drinks on the shelf at the back of the platform to prevent any possible spills on important electrical equipment. 

After a little while, a member of security came and pulled us back from the main barrier and told us we’d have to stay where we were told to be (about mid platform) or the metal barrier would go back in. They said it was something to do with not spilling drinks on the electrical equipment below us. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the intention but like, we already HAD a plan to have the metal barrier out of the way, be at the platform barrier AND keep the equipment unharmed? Needless to say, we moved back to the platform barrier later on and no one else said anything, so I think us moving the metal barrier was actually a non-issue. 

In terms of the actual show: As Everything Unfolds, Yours Truly and Holding Absence were all AMAZING. I’ll admit I hadn’t really heard any of these bands when Dev suggested the gig (I took the “it’s my birthday, it’s in Brum, fuck it why not?” approach) but I thoroughly enjoyed the show. So much so that, when Dev asked my thoughts on the show, my response was “fancy a road trip to Sheffield tomorrow [for the next show of tour]? 

We didn’t make it to Sheffield because they didn’t have any space left on the access platform, but (SPOILER) I did make it to another show on this tour and there WILL be another access review from this tour. 

Overall, FANTASTIC show and a fairly accessible venue (other than getting stuck on the way through the door and the minor barrier issue with security) .

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels) 

Travelling from Birmingham New Street to Northallerton as a Wheelchair User? Here’s How I Did It

Image Description: Photo on the left of Emma raising her arms in triumph having completed her mammoth trip. Blue text on the right reads "Travelling from Birmingham New Street to Northallerton as a Wheelchair User? Here's How I Did It "

Back in October, I headed up to Northallerton to visit editor extraordinaire Nikki. This meant 4 trains and 3 different train companies (CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and London Northeastern Railway). Here’s how the trip went for me as an electric wheelchair user. 

Outbound 

Ticket Buying & Getting On at Birmingham New Street 

Ticket wise, I purchased my tickets through Trainline as per usual. When it came to the assistance booking, I initially tried to book via the Passenger Assistance app, but the trains it was finding weren’t the trains I had booked (it kept trying to give me my connecting train at the wrong station) so I had to book assistance over the phone anyway. I ended up booking the assistance specifically through TransPennine Express as they were the only ones with phone lines open after I finished work. I must say they were very nice and helpful and were quickly able to get my assistance booked for the correct trains. When it came to travel day, I finished up at work and then headed straight to New Street. Once there, I made myself known to assistance staff and then waited in the assistance lounge. When it came time to head to my train, we discovered that the first lift we tried down to the platform wasn’t working. This meant we had to head all the way across the station to the other lift which leads to those platforms. This did leave me a little nervous that I’d be cutting it fine for my train (despite arriving 20 minutes beforehand as I was told to. 

On Train 

It was a bit of a mission to get into my seat as CrossCountry trains (which I was on) are quite small and skinny and thus quite difficult to manoeuvre in. Once I was seated, I fully realised that I’d actually been placed in the first-class wheelchair space (The assistance staff did make me aware when I was being walked to the train but I didn’t fully believe them because I only had a standard ticket).  But I wasn’t going to complain because first class meant a free sandwich and free coffee, and anyone who knows me knows that the way to my heart is caffeine. A trespasser on the line just ahead of our train at Sheffield meant that my already tight 13-minute change was reduced to 3 minutes, so I was obviously VERY concerned about missing my connection. 

Disembarking at York and Changing Trains 

Thankfully, due to some excellent communication between my train staff and the staff at York, and the fact the other train was only across the platform, I was able to make my tight connection. Once we finally pulled into York, I negotiated the very steep ramp (with the help of 2 staff members), dashed across the platform to where the ramp was already set up on the other train and then made it onto my train. 

On Train 

As I said I only just made the train, I also realised that I was alone in the carriage, which was nice after the stress of the connection. Other than that, it was only a 20-minute train so there was nothing much to report. 

Disembarking & Leaving at Northallerton 

When we arrived at Northallerton it was the train staff who disembarked me off of the train with the ramp and Nikki collected me from the platform. She then helped me negotiate the very steep ramp out of the station (driving backwards to help with my spatial awareness, so I didn’t feel like I was going to tip out of my chair). 

Return 

Getting On at Northallerton 

When it was sadly time for me to head home, Nikki and I arrived at the station more than 20 minutes before my train, as I had been told. The station staff member was then very helpful in explaining the works that were going on to install lifts to both platforms (currently serviced by steep ramps). I believe one lift was supposed be installed in December and one will be installed for Easter.* The station staff member also called ahead to staff on the train to find out where in the train they were stationed. I thought this was somewhat weird, why would he need to contact train staff? I then realised later that it was because the train staff would have to put me on the train as the station staff member wasn’t yet trained to use this ramp (don’t ask me how you can be considered fully trained enough to do the job and yet not be trained to help all disabled passengers onto all trains, I was as baffled as you are). This change of who was boarding me onto the train also meant I had to be boarded onto a different carriage than my assistance was booked on, in order for the train staff to be there to assist me. 

On Train 

There was nothing to report on the actual train journey as it was only 20 minutes. 

Disembarking at York and Changing Trains 

On arrival at York, it became apparent that the station staff hadn’t been informed about me being moved carriages and so were waiting at the wrong carriage. As train staff weren’t allowed to disembark me using the onboard ramp (again, don’t ask me why) I couldn’t immediately disembark at York. Thankfully station staff figured out the miscommunication just in time before train staff ‘broke the rules’ and disembarked me using the onboard ramp’. In terms of switching trains at York, I was able to grab dinner and a coffee and take a bathroom break (in the radar key disabled toilet at the station) before meeting station staff back on the same platform to board the Birmingham bound train. 

On Train 

The Birmingham train was a London Northeastern Railway (LNER) train and I was in the standard class wheelchair space. Other than that, there was nothing really to report as it was a fairly standard journey. 

Disembarking & Leaving at Birmingham New Street 

On arrival at New Street, station staff were already waiting on the platform to disembark me. I did have to request several times for the staff member to provide me some assistance navigating the very steep ramp, but I put that down to speaking through masks in a very busy train/station. Once I was disembarked, I made my way along the platform and up in the lift to the concourse. I then called Nikki to ‘walk me home’ (it was dark and I’m a disabled woman travelling alone, safety first) and left the station. 

I hope this insight into travelling between Birmingham New Street and Northallerton, via York, as an electric wheelchair user was helpful. 

*I have found out that, since I took this trip, both lifts at Northallerton station have now been installed (with one currently in working order and the other due to be working in just a few weeks). This also means that the super steep ramp from my arrival at Northallerton is gone, with a much more manageable ramp out to the car park (albeit a ramp that makes the journey out of the station about 5 minutes longer).

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels) 

Utilita Arena Birmingham Wheelchair Accessibility Review

Image Description: Emma, a young woman with brunette hair and glasses, is sat in her wheelchair at the Utilita Arena Birmingham smiling broadly and throwing the "metal horns" hand signal at the camera. She is wearing a red leather jacket, black jeans, black Bring Me The Horizon band t shirt and a red face covering around her neck.

Back in September, I went to my first gig since live music started up again after the lockdowns. I saw Bring Me The Horizon at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham with my best mate Dev. This was a new venue to me. And you know that means just one thing: A NEW ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW! With that said, let’s get started.

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)

Ticket Buying
I wasn’t the one buying these particular tickets as Dev actually bought them as my birthday present and left a note in my card to say we were going. Once I knew we were going, Dev had to ask me for my “Access Card” number or other form of disability “proof”. I suppose this was to prove I ACTUALLY needed the wheelchair access seating she had booked for us. Having to prove these things will always feel odd to me but here we are. Then, a couple of weeks before the gig, Dev realised she still hadn’t received our e tickets. THEN she realised never actually received the email confirmation of booking and had just been given a reference number over the phone. After yet more hours spent on the phone to TicketFactory (who I believe handle all access seating for the venue) we FINALLY had our tickets and could actually head to the gig.

*February 2023 update: You can actually buy accessible tickets for Utilita Arena on the website, as long as your Access Card is connected to your TicketFactory account. Oh and as long as you’re not two people with Access Cards and accessibility requirements trying to attend a show TOGETHER. I found that out when I tried to book tickets for my friend Lizzie (also a wheelchair user) and I to see Fall Out Boy. I was told that, because only one Access Card can be connected to one account at a time, I would have to use the access booking line, give the staff member both of our Access Card numbers and just SEE if they could seat us together. Thankfully on this occasion I was successful in my mission, but it’s just another example of the hoops disabled people have to jump through to do a simple thing like attending a show with friends.

Travel
In terms of travel, once Dev was in Birmingham there wasn’t really much travelling to do as the venue is only a short walk from my house. We did stop by a canal side pub (and a couple of other bars) because, you know, pre gig beverages and all.

Experience & Seating
Soon enough we made our way to the gig, and this is where most of the issues occurred. I must stress none of this was to do with the actual gig itself (Nova Twins, You Me At Six and Bring Me The Horizon were all brilliant and my perfect reintroduction to live music) and everything to do with the venue. First off, it was very difficult to cross the bridge in order to get to the venue as there were so many people. It was these same people we were walking against in order to follow the signage to the “accessible” entrance. I used quotation marks for a reason, because the accessible entrance wasn’t really that accessible. We had to walk all the way down a steep path with a questionable drop kerb at the end, before walking THROUGH a cark park, cutting a left turn THROUGH the queue and then standing outside a door in a dark unlit section of said carpark. Sounds dodgy right? Once we were inside, we underwent the security/bag check and then were sent up to the main level in a lift. There was only one person to direct people from the lift round to their accessible seating block (hold onto that piece of information, it will be become important again later). One good thing I did spot is that the arena has a Changing Places toilet (this is a bigger accessible toilet with additional equipment such as a hoist for those who need it). We did walk past merch on the way to our seats but took one look at the queue and Dev decided she’d come back for us during one of the support acts instead. We were then led to our seats. I would say pretty good seats overall, on an accessible section of the arena with a seated height barrier, so I could actually see without having to fuss too much. The accessible seating was actually positioned in between two sets of standard tiered seating (with some tiered seating below us and some above) so I really felt in with the crowd rather than as though I was on some separate platform away from crowd atmosphere. It seemed like the accessible seating went all the way around that level of the venue as well which I was pleasantly surprised by as it actually looked like a decent amount of accessible seating.

*Little update on this from Royal Blood’s show at Utilita end of March 2022: It turns out there is an alternative accessible to the one I described above. THAT entrance was entrance G (turning right outside the Costa as you head over to the bridge towards the arena). There is also an entrance C which I used for the Royal Blood gig. You turn left as you come over the bridge and should see a giant Lego giraffe around the entrance. This is a flat accessible entrance with no car park to drive through. Once you’re through security you just take a lift up to arena level. The only thing I would say here is the door that leads from arena level to the lift is different than the general exit door for this entrance, and you can easily go through the wrong door if you’re following the crowd on the way out and then have to fight back through the crowd to get to the lift exit door. Take a tip from the girl who learned this the hard way.

Image Description: View of the stage at Utilita Arena Birmingham from wheelchair seating block 4

When it came time for Dev to pop out and get merch, she realised there was STILL a massive line at both sides of the merch stand (we figured that it would be quieter once the gig had actually started). When she FINALLY made it to the front, my contactless wouldn’t work. So, she had to have the merch staff put the shirt I wanted aside whilst she came to get me so I could use my pin. Merch purchased, we headed back into the gig.

The gig, I must say, was excellent. Nova Twins, You Me At Six and Bring Me The Horizon all absolutely brilliant. They say you don’t know how much you miss something and how much you need it until it’s gone. Well, this gig certainly showed me how much I missed and needed live music. When I had finished cathartically screaming every lyric to every song and the gig was over, it was time to make our exit. This is where things get “interesting”. We figured that there couldn’t POSSIBLY be just that one accessible entrance we had entered through. Having drawn that conclusion, we decided to make a quick dive out of the nearest exit opposite our seating block.

Reader, our earlier conclusion was wrong. Once we made our exit, we soon realised that the only way down from the arena to street level the WHOLE WAY AROUND was stairs. Realising our mistake, Dev went to speak to some security on the door to ask that we be let back in or directed around to another exit so that I, obviously a wheelchair user, could accessibly exit the building. The security guard heard what Dev was asking and pointed down the stairs (don’t ask me how he thought the stairs and wheelchair was going to go, I must be missing the levitation button on my wheelchair). After about 10 minutes of arguing that the stairs weren’t an option, I decided to just head back inside to see if the staff inside would be more helpful, since re-entering the building seemed our only option for an accessible exit. Once back inside I managed to speak to a staff member who told me we would have to fight against the crowd to head back to the same lift and entrance we’d entered through. Once we made it back to the lift, I realised that the same person was stationed there as when we entered, which meant it made sense why we’d struggled to exit as there was no one to tell us this was the ONE accessible entrance/ exit. This also meant we had to go down the same lift, through the same dodgy car park and up the same dodgy drop kerb to exit. Then it was over many bridges (which had weird speedbumps in the middle for some reason) and THROUGH a pub (due to lack of drop kerb) to get back onto the canal path to head home.

Overall, thoroughly excellent gig with good accessible seating and the first time I’ve ever seen a Changing Places toilet a gig. However, there is still much improvement to be made to the ticket buying process and accessible entry/exit system (in that having one accessible entry/exit point in a venue that size really ISN’T a system.)

Stay Invincible!
Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels

O2 Academy Birmingham Wheelchair Accessibility Review

Image Description: Emma, a young woman with glasses and brown hair, is sat on her sofa smiling broadly. She is showing a bright yellow book (Her copy of Daniel Sloss 'Everyone You Hate Is Going To Die') to the camera.

I finally went to a LIVE. EVENT. again,  IN. PERSON. And it was a venue that was new to me. So that only means one thing: A BRAND NEW VENUE ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW (I was genuinely questioning whether I’d ever type those words again). This one is for the O2 Academy in Birmingham.

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as a manual wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!) 

Ticket Buying

Back in June, my best mate Dev came up to visit me. When we were deciding what to do with our Saturday evening, we remembered that the comedian Daniel Sloss was doing shows in Birmingham that day and it turned out the venue was only a 15 minute walk from my house, so we figured we’d try and grab some last minute tickets. It was one of those “if it happens cool, if not we tried” situations but hey, other people can buy last minute on the day tickets to events if they’re available so why can’t disabled people?  With the mission outlined, we set about contacting the venue through all avenues: all social media, phone calls (which were the first form of contact but we weren’t getting through) and email. It became a matter of principle that we needed a response because like I said before, others can get last minute tickets, disabled attendees should have that option too. After a while, the venue replied to Dev’s email and said that access tickets for the show were sold out. That is what I thought the outcome would be so it was a case of “ok mission unsuccessful” and carry on with the day. THEN the venue replied to my tweet and asked for my contact details. Once I’d handed those details over, I received a call from the venue box office and we were able to book tickets over the phone for the evening performance.

Travel

Since the venue is only 15 minutes from my house, we decided to just walk. We also decided to make a canal side stop for a pre-show drink, because you know, celebrations, and that.

Experience & Seating

Once we arrived at the venue,  we were able to collect our tickets from the box office. I was also recognised by one of the social media team from my Twitter picture (since I was wearing the beloved red leather jacket that’s in that image). We were then taken in one of the entrances and up in the lift to our seats. The lift was one of those where you have to press and HOLD the button to make it move. We also couldn’t have anything touching the sides of the lift otherwise it wouldn’t move. I must say that it was quite difficult to keep holding the buttons down in the lift. Also, whilst I fitted in the lift okay in my  manual wheelchair, I was wondering whether that lift would be able to fit my electric wheelchair. Our seats were balcony seats with an ok view once we had removed one of the chairs and angled my wheelchair towards the stage. However, I wasn’t too bothered about the view since in my mind comedy isn’t as visual as a concert or something else like that. But I do wonder what the view would be like with those seats at a concert as everything on the stage looked pretty small because we were on the highest level.

*A couple of additional notes having attended a concert at this same venue since writing this review: Good additional points: My electric wheelchair DOES fit in that lift, which is something I was a little worried about since it’s a bit tight, AND the view of the stage from the wheelchair space is pretty good, which IS something I was concerned about as I mentioned above. Now for the less positive update: At the concert, my bestie/companion/holder of “carer” ticket, Dev headed down to the main standing area on a couple occasions. This is something we’ve both agreed is absolutely fine and something that happens at near enough every show we’re at together. I know she’ll return at some point, and frankly I quite enjoy knowing what the show was like from the moshpit/standing area as it’s something I’ll never see myself really. However, at the recent concert, we ran into a bit of an issue because security in the standing area wouldn’t allow Dev back up to the wheelchair seating with me even AFTER she showed proof of her carer ticket. I have also heard from other wheelchair using friends that security at the venue won’t even allow wheelchair users to leave the access seating level to buy MERCH. This issue with security (mixed with the lack of signal/Wi-Fi in the venue) meant that Dev and I weren’t reunited until the end of the gig and actually had a pretty difficult time finding each other which put a bit of a dampener on the the evening for me.

In terms of the disabled toilet, it was on the radar key scheme and the emergency pull cord went all the way to the floor; both of which were welcome sights, however, the space in the toilet was a little tight. There were also some COVID related changes (other than masks) such as being socially distanced. This meant there was a gap for one carer and wheelchair user between us and the other people in the accessible seating. There was also mobile ordering and delivery for drinks from the bar, as well as staggered exiting so that everyone wasn’t exiting at the same time.

All in all I must say Daniel Sloss is HILARIOUS and I was saying to Dev that we need NEED to go and see him again when he does a new show. A much needed night of laughs after the last 18 months or so. As for the venue accessibility, bar the struggles acquiring tickets, I thought it was pretty accessible and was fairly happy, although I’d probably have to retest the accessibility in my electric wheelchair just to be certain.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Birmingham Travel: New Street to Sutton Coldfield as a Wheelchair User Under National Lockdown? Here’s How I Did It

Recently I had to take a few trips to Sutton Coldfield for some course training (whilst we were still under national lockdown) , so I thought I’d let you know what the experience was like (travelling from Birmingham New Street) as a wheelchair user. I had to take this trip a total of 6 times (3 outbound and 3 return) but this post is just about the first outbound and return trip.

Outbound

Ticket Buying, Assistance Booking & Getting On at Birmingham New Street

When it came to booking the assistance, it was pretty much the standard process, I just called West Midlands Railway and booked the assistance over the phone. I did not have to give my wheelchair dimensions this time as I had already given them for a previous assistance booking and they were stored in the system. The ticket situation is where things get a little more complicated. Initially I thought since both stations were in the free travel blue zone on my disabled travel pass that I would be able to travel for, you know, free. However, it turns out that free travel thing is only for after  9.30am and my train was at 8.25am. Cue a dash to grab a last minute ticket on Trainline the night before my trip. I did wonder if I could buy the ticket and manage not to use it. On arrival at New Street, the staff let me through the barriers with just my pass despite it being before 9:30am.I then made my way to the assistance lounge and made myself know to the staff so I could get my train. I WAS able to get a partial refund on the ticket I bought on Trainline since I never actually used or registered it anywhere on my trip.

On Train

The on train experience was pretty simple as it was only a 15 or 20 minute trip so there wasn’t really time for anything spectacular to happen.

Disembarking & Leaving at Sutton Coldfield

On arrival at Sutton Coldfield, station staff were already there on the platform which meant I was able to get straight off the train. The staff then showed me a simpler route to my location which went via a separate exit to the main one. This did involve taking one lift up to the concourse level and then another lift down to the other platform before going out of the separate exit.

Return

Getting On at Sutton Coldfield

When getting on at Sutton Coldfield for the return trip, I used the same assistance booking without a  ticket (just using my travel pass) as it was after 9:30am. When it came to actually getting on the train, I ended up getting an earlier train than my booked assistance, so I informed the security staff that I needed assistance and they went and informed the station staff on my behalf as I couldn’t actually find any of the assistance staff.

On Train

Again, the on train experience was only 15 or 20 minutes so there wasn’t time for anything  dramatic to happen.

Disembarking & Leaving at Birmingham New Street

On arrival at Birmingham New Street, staff were already on the platform to greet me (as I find they usually are at New Street) which meant I was able to get straight off the train and head out of the  station.

I hope that this post provides some insight into what it’s like travelling between these 2 stations as a wheelchair user whilst under national lockdown.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Birmingham Travel: Snow Hill to Hall Green as a Wheelchair User Under National Lockdown? Here’s How I Did It

Recently I had to take another essential lockdown train journey, this time from Birmingham Snow Hill to Hall Green for a job-related visit, so I thought I’d give you an insight into the process again since the stations were different.

Outbound

Ticket Buying & Getting On at Birmingham Snow Hill

This was a right palaver if I’m honest. Well actually, buying the ticket was because, as with my previous lockdown train travel blog post, the 2 stations I was travelling between are on the West Midlands network. This means that, with my West Midlands Disabled Travel Pass, travel between those stations is free. The assistance booking is where things got complicated. I initially phoned West Midlands Railway passenger assistance line (as it was them I was travelling with) and they requested my wheelchair dimensions prior to making the booking. This was not information I wanted to give since I did not understand why it was necessary and had not been asked for this information the recent previous time I’d travelled with West Midlands Railway.

So I decided to try and book my assistance through Cross Country Trains instead, but they were asking for the same information. In the end I just gave in and located and passed on the dimensions so I could get my assistance booked.

Further discussions informed me that asking for the dimensions is a nationwide policy that was introduced around 18 months ago (which makes sense as it’s around that time that other train companies I used started asking for the information). However, I was also told that you should be asked for the dimensions once and then it goes onto the system, so hopefully that’s me done having to give the dimensions.

BUT the dimensions saga wasn’t even the end of my issues! I originally wanted to travel from Birmingham Moor Street to Hall Green, but the lifts at Moor Street are currently out of order, which makes the platforms inaccessible to me. So I had to make decision to walk up to Snow Hill (from where my train goes THROUGH Moor Street) and make the journey that way. Other than these accessibility issues and the additional request for dimensions, the process of booking assistance was broadly the same. On the day of my trip, I arrived and made myself known to a staff member who said that another staff member would meet me on the platform. I should also say that I arrived at 11am for a train that departed at 11:07 and was still put on the train with time to spare, so this request that those who need assistance turn up 20 minutes early for their train definitely seems excessive and somewhat unnecessary.

On Train

The actual journey was only around 15 minutes so there wasn’t time for anything too dramatic to dramatic to happen. One thing I would say is that on this train the wheelchair space involves parking against a flip down seat, which is difficult to do when the seat won’t stay flipped up, because you have to try and park whilst holding the seat up at the same time!

Disembarking & Leaving at Hall Green

When the train arrived at Hall Green, there was no sign of station staff. Then, despite multiple yells for help, the doors closed and the train began moving away with me still onboard. This meant I had to press the emergency button and stop the train in order to get off. I was then informed that staff had recently switched over and incoming staff were not informed I was on that train or required assistance, even though I booked assistance ahead of time as per the system. Once I FINALLY got off the train, it was a simple case of heading up the ramp and out of the station.

Return

Getting On at Hall Green

For the return journey I was using the same “ticket” (my disabled travel pass) and had intended to travel on the same assistance booking. However, my appointment finished early which meant I could catch a significantly earlier train. I informed staff that I wished to catch an earlier train and from there it was a fairly simple process, as they just cancelled my later assistance booking and put me on the next train back to Snow Hill

On Train

Once again, the actual journey was only about 15 minutes so nothing dramatic happened. The flip down seat in the wheelchair space actually stayed flipped up this time, which made it much easier to park.

Disembarking & Leaving at Birmingham Snow Hill

On arrival at Snow Hill, a staff member was waiting on the platform with a ramp which meant I could simply go down the ramp and get straight off the train. I then decided to make a bathroom stop before leaving the station but realised I didn’t have my radar key so I asked staff if I could borrow their key. It turned out the toilet on my platform had issues with the lock and someone had shut the door (staff usually left it open) which meant the lock had jammed. Thankfully, staff managed to get the door open with a pair of scissors in the lock. They were very helpful and saved me having to make a trip to the other disabled toilet on a platform (yes I know I shouldn’t have to be thankful  about being able to use the bathroom like everyone else, but I really appreciated their working to fix the issue rather than fobbing me off with an excuse.)

I hope this post has provided some insight into what it’s like travelling between Birmingham Snow Hill and Hall Green with West Midlands Railways as a wheelchair user under national lockdown.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Travelling from Birmingham New Street to Erdington as a Wheelchair User Under National Lockdown? Here’s How I Did It

Recently, I had to travel on the trains during the national lockdown which we are currently under here in England. I travelled from Birmingham New Street to Erdington (a smaller station within Birmingham) with West Midlands Railway for an essential job interview. I thought it would be useful to let you know what it’s like travelling on the trains as a wheelchair user during lockdown, so here’s the lowdown on lockdown train travel!

Outbound

Ticket Buying & Getting On at Birmingham New Street

In terms of tickets, I was already set up as I now have a free disabled travel pass. This allows those who have it to travel for free on trains and trams within the West Midlands network within certain times. The assistance booking process was the same as it usually is outside of lockdowns, I simply rang the phone line for that particular train company and requested my assistance at the specific date and time. They did have to make me a new account on their booking system though (even though I have booked a LOT of train assistance in my time) so I  guess that shows that not all the booking systems are connected. When it came to actually catching the train, I arrived at New Street at least 20 minutes before departure )as instructed when I booked assistance), presented my travel pass at the entry gate and was let through by a staff member. I then made my way to the assistance lounge and made myself known to the staff. When it came time to get the train is when the difference in assistance due to COVID restrictions became more obvious as it was only me allowed in the lift and not the member of staff. Once we got to the platform, the member of assistance staff made a comment that the guard (who would have to disembark me from the train as Erdington is a smaller station with fewer staff) was not going to be happy about having to use the onboard manual boarding ramp. Whilst I’m sure that was just supposed to be an innocuous comment, it made me feel like I was being seen as an inconvenience for having to travel. BELIEVE ME if I didn’t have to travel in the current circumstances I wouldn’t be doing so, but the fact of the matter is I had to travel for work just like anyone else. Add to that the fact that helping disabled passengers is part of the role on the railways and well, if you can’t already tell, that comment bothered me quite a lot.

On Train

Onboard the train was the usual ‘board and back up into the wheelchair space’ situation. It was only a 15-minute trip so there wasn’t really time for anything dramatic to happen.

Disembarking & Leaving at Erdington

In the entire 15 minute or so ride to Erdington, the guard had not been to speak to me or check where I was on the train so I wasn’t sure what the process would be when we arrived. On arrival at  the station there was no ramp or guard to be seen and generally no sign of any assistance arriving. To add to my anxiety, I found out that I could only barely reach the ‘open door’ button if I was forgotten and the train door did close. Knowing that and with previous experience, I reverted to my usual of yelling for assistance from the train door. When that didn’t seem to do anything I headed away from the door and back into the carriage to press the assistance button located next to the wheelchair space. When the guard did arrive to disembark me, he made a point of saying “you don’t have to press that (referring to the assistance button) you just have to WAIT” . This really bothered me again as no other passengers have to wait to disembark a train, that is only necessary because the railways are not entirely accessible and I require assistance. I was also worried about how long I’d be expected to wait as I’ve been forgotten on trains before so I know that ‘just waiting’ is rarely the solution.

Return

Getting On at Erdington

When it came to making the return journey, I was using the same ‘ticket’ (my travel pass) and  assistance booking as before so that was no issue. I arrived way earlier than the train I had booked assistance for as my interview ended earlier than expected. I then made my way into the ticket office to make myself known to the staff. However, I found that the office door was only able to be opened on one side and that side was not big enough for my chair to get through. That meant that a  fellow passenger had to help and unlock the other door to allow me through, close contact which obviously isn’t ideal in the current circumstances. Getting my train was a much simpler process thankfully, I simply said which train I had booked assistance on and asked if could get on earlier train since I had arrived early. The staff member in the office (whose name I think was Richard? shout out to him anyway whatever his name may have been) sorted it with no fuss. He simply rang New Street to let them know what train I was originally booked on and that I would actually be getting the next train back to New Street, and then put me straight on the next available train.

On Train

Again I was only on the train for about 15 mins so there was no onboard drama.

Disembarking & Leaving at Birmingham New Street

On arrival at New Street, there was a staff member waiting on the platform with a ramp. That meant there was none of the disembarking hassle I’d had on the outbound journey, so I was able to get  straight off the train and head home, just like everyone else.

I hope this gives some insight into what it’s like travelling on the trains as a wheelchair user during a national lockdown.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)